Brisingr
by Firemaker
Summary: Eragon has finally committed to the campaign against Galabatorix and Murtagh. But How will he fare against two riders. No pairing as of yet. R/R


Brisingr

Eragon stared out onto the burning planes. He opened his mind to sense everything, meditation as Oromis would call it. He could feel the birds, crows, hawks, eagles all filled with greed at the feast of bodies that had been prepared for them. From both sides he felt a sense of sorrow and grief, he listened to the sound of the geysers striking the odd bodies and burning it. He also felt the sorrow. Finally he physically felt a large gust of wind appearing above him. He turned upwards to see his dragon and best friend, Saphira Brightscales, daughter of Vervada descending.

_Try not to dwell on it little one. _She offered trying to console the young man.

_How can I not? The very blood of the one responsible for the destruction of the riders runs through my veins. Katrina is stuck in a prison with untold terrors being bestowed onto her, and being kept as bait. The person I love continually denies me and my very own brother has betrayed me for a mad king who will stop at nothing to secure his place in power. _

Eragon looked on, and he felt tears well up, tears of grief and sorrow. Saphira subdued by her riders response walked over to his side and lay her neck down by him.

_It will get better, I promise you. Now we should go and visit Nasuada and inform her of our mission to rescue your cousin's fiancée._

Nasuada's office was a mess. People were everywhere, the noise level high; she was even finding it difficult to concentrate. How was she going to cope with this new rider, even worse, how was she to keep from everyone the identity of him. Murtagh, the dwarves would never let her hear the end of it if they found out that he was the new rider. Never the less she resolved to speak with Eragon and Arya to develop appropriate strategies for dealing with this new setback. Amongst the masses of people in the room she noticed a young boy with brown hair headed directly for her, she smiled, it seemed as if even with life dealing out bad hands of cards to her and the Varden that some things were still going fluidly.

"Shadeslayer, to what do I owe this visit?"

"I've have come to ask for permission to travel to Dras Leonas with my cousin, Roran to free his fiancée." To Nasuada, Eragon looked visibly nervous; she had a reasonable guess as to why.

"Eragon, whilst I may be your liege lord, I am not here to tell you everything you can and cannot do, if you wish to go and rescue this girl, Katrina then do so." Nasuada paused for a second then carried on "However might I add that I'll expect you to go there and come straight back, flying into the empire land may not be one of the best ideas, now that Galbatorix has another dragon and rider who can do his bidding for him. So if you come across Murtagh I order you to avoid engaging him in a duel as at the moment it appears that he is as powerful as the king himself."

"Thank you." Eragon replied and bowed his head. He turned to walk out when Nasuada stopped him.

"One more thing, good luck in your mission for I feel you may need it, and wipe out every one of those dreadful beasts." Eragon smiled and walked out.

Roran was watching as two soldiers sparred in the sparring field with sticks. He was anticipating his chance at revenge on the Ra'zac almost more so than Eragon, for both had lost much to the foul beasts.

"Are you ready, Roran?" Roran turned to find Eragon standing next to him. He jumped, Eragon had appeared to materialise out of nowhere.

"I'm as ready as I have ever been." was Roran's reply.

"Before we go I wish to test your ability at fighting with that blunt object. We are about to walk into a potentially difficult fight as whilst we are inside the dungeon Saphira will not be able to help us as much as I would like."

"Why, do you doubt my ability to give you a beating like I always have?"

"Big words, but lets see some big actions on the sparring field." Eragon moved towards the entrance of the field. The previous fight had just come to a finish with one swordsman holding his sword to the neck of the other.

Eragon borrowed a sword off one of the soldiers. It sparked memories of his previous dual in which he had been robbed of Zar'roc. Despite the name of the sword and its previous owner, Eragon had taken a likening to the sword and it saddened him to have to fight without it.

Roran brandished his hammer and began circling Eragon like a big cat stalking its prey. Eragon was adjusting his movements to match Roran's. Roran let out and charged forward swinging his hammer in a downward arc. Eragon moved to parry the blow and did so with easy. He then stabbed forward forcing Roran to move back. Roran attempted to swipe at Eragon again however this time he just met thin air. Eragon had ducked underneath the hammer. It became apparent to Roran very quickly that Eragon was toying with him, and holding back a lot.

_Careful little one, he does not have the speed of a rider, or the grace of a elf, especially when wielding some blunt tool. _ Eragon took this is mind and slowed down his movements. Roran was frustrated, he could see that his cousin was holding back a lot. In desperation he began to start fighting both with his fists and his hammer. Eragon smiled at this for the more attacks Roran could get in the better.

"Good, improvisation will be needed against the Ra'zac. But you going to have to do better than that to win." Eragon quipped. He succeeded in angering Roran. Roran jumped forward swinging his hammer like a berserker however every time the hammer found thin air. Then Eragon decided to strike very suddenly at Roran's hammer hitting it on the anvil. The hammer cracked clean into two pieces.

"I suggest that you learn how to use a sword rather than what was that blunt object."

"No fair, you cheated. Plus the hammer deals out far more damage upon impact, in fact pass me that sword" Roran lay the sword on the ground and the with only half the hammer swung at the sword with full strength, it shattered in three different spots. "Not so strong now"

"Regardless the enemy won't hesitate to cheat or be underhand when it comes to our capture. You are to spar with me every night from now on, I cannot have my cousin being know as the most useless soldier in Alagaesia."

"You would do well to remember the journey and the sacrifices I've made to be here and to remember that I am still your elder." With that Roran walked off, evidently still annoyed at how easily he had been defeated.

. It was midnight, the area was warm as Surda always was. Even in the middle of the night the clanging of hammers and many voices could still be heard, and just in the distance another camp could be made out by the light. A young elvish looking both was sat on top of a dragon that had been strapped with supplies and a saddle attached to it.

_Are you sure you have packed everything, little one? _Saphira asked.

_Quite sure that I have Saphira. Now where is that blasted cousin of mine! _Eragon was in a hurry to leave as he knew that the sooner he got to Helgrind the less chance he had of walking straight into an ambush. He was about to contact Roran with his mind when he heard the sound of quiet footsteps behind approaching. He turned around to see a female elf approach, Arya. Eragon's heart skipped a beat, as it always did when she was around. He mentally locked his emotions within a box upon seeing her.

Atra esterní ono thelduin and Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta on and Un du evarínya ono varda, Arya Svit-Kona.

"I heard that you plan to rescue this girl from Helgrind. I wish to ask as to why I was not informed of this personally and rather had to find out from Nasuada." Saphira growled at the tone that Arya was taking at Eragon but allowed her to continue. "You know Eragon, just because I do not wish to take you as a mate does not mean that we cannot be friends. Anyway, I did not come here to discuss your quest to make me yours, rather I came to bring you this." She brought out a blade that looked different to anything he had ever seen before. It was a shiny silver double edged double sided sword. It's length was roughly three times the length Zar'roc had been though the handle in the middle was about 2/3rds of the swords size on its own.

"Wow, where did you find this?"

"It was a gift from King Orrin, after he heard how you lost your sword."

"Who told him about that?"

"Nasuada explained a cut down version of what happened between you and … the traitor." Arya said, noticing the facial expression that overtook Eragon's face for a second. "Anyway I wish you and your cousin good luck in your quest." And with that she was gone, once again walking away from Eragon.

_Try not to dwell on it little one as you know it will bring you nothing but pain._

_Aye, I will take that advice in mind, Saphira._

It was at this moment that Roran decided to make himself known. He was clad in battle gear and had a new hammer that even from a glance looked like one that was forged by a dwarf.

"Shall we be off?" Roran said.

_I thought you would never ask. _ Saphira retorted to both of them. Eragon helped Roran to strap himself into the leather saddle and then with one large beat of her wings, Saphira lifted off and she flapped here way north into the night.


End file.
